The following description includes information that may be useful in understanding the present invention. It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art or relevant to the presently claimed invention.
The conventional MRI protocol for investigating atherosclerotic plaques involves a series of scans that provide multiple contrast weightings (e.g. T1-weighted, T2-weighted, and bright-blood, etc.) for resolving high-risk plaque characteristics. Unfortunately, misregistration between image sets due to inter-scan motion often compromises evaluation accuracy.
Considering the state of the art, there is clearly a need for improved MRI methods that allow for more efficient and accurate assessment of atherosclerotic plaque.